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(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet I.

H. RAUGH GASK PITGHING APPARATUS.

No. 599,476. Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

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OASK PITGHING APPARATUS.

Patented Feb. 22, 18981. Fl Er. 2.

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WITNESSES (No Model.)

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HENRY RAUCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CASK PlTCl-HNG APPARATUS.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,476, dated February 22, 1898.

Application filed July 6, 1897. Serial No. 643,488. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY RAUOH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatuses for Pitching Oasks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatuses emplayed for coating the insides of barrels and the like with pitch or other liquid compounds; and the object is to provide a simple and efficient means primarily designed for coating the inner surfaces of beer kegs, casks, and barrels with a hot liquid composition, which is commonly called pitching.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus in the plane indicated by the line as in Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are drawn to a smaller scale than the principal views, but represent, respectively, sectional plans of the reservoir taken in the planes indicated by lines m and m in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing how the airpipes enter the reservoir under the cover thereof. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a slightly different arrangement of the parts; and Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on line 00 in Fig. 6.

This apparatus operates through the medium of compressed air, which forces a suitable quantity of the hot pitch or liquid compound from a reservoir up into a cask, keg, or barrel, from which the surplus liquid flows back again into the reservoir.

As shown in the drawings, the apparatus is arranged for treating four casks simultaneously; but this is not essential to the invention. The apparatus may as well be adapted for treating at the same time one or more casks or barrels.

1 represents the kettle or reservoir to contain the pitch, mounted over any suitable furnace 2 for heating it, the reservoir having a removable cover 3. As here shown, the reservoir is square or rectangular in plan; but its form is not important to this invention. As hereinbefore stated, the apparatus is provided with devices for pitching four casks or barrels at one time; but as these devices are or may be exactly alike a description of one will apply as well to all.

Below the bottom of the reservoir or kettle 1, and by preference formed integrally there with, are the four tanks 4, (see Fig. 4,) which are conveniently formed rectangular and each of one-fourth the lineal dimensions of the bottom of the kettle or reservoir. Each tank has an inlet 5 for the pitch, and this inlet is controlled by a simple clack-valve 6, which opens downwardly or inwardly. A pipe 7, coming from some source of compressed air, enters the top of the tank 4. As here shown, the air-pipes '7 from the several tanks 4 connect with a pipe 7 common to them all, and this pipe may be supplied with compressed air from an ordinary air compressing and storing apparatus. As such apparatuses may be purchased in the open market, I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate one herein.

From a point near the bottom of the tank 4 an outlet-pipe 8 extends up through the top of the tank and through a close-fitting guide in the cover 3 and bears on its upper end a perforated nozzle 9. (Seen at the right in Fig. 1, where the cask X is broken away to show it.)

The pitch in the reservoir 1 will usually fill the latter up to about the level indicated by line 10 and will be kept in a hot liquid con dition. The operator places the empty cask X on suitable supports 10 on the cover 3, so that the pipe 8 will extend up into the cask through the bung-hole therein, the latter being considerably larger than the pipe. The compressed air is now admitted to the tank 4, the valve 6 instantly closes, and the air drives the pitch incarcerated in the tank 4 up through the pipe 8 and perforated nozzle 9 into the cask, coating the latter thoroughly on the inside. In Fig. l the coating is represented in the cask X'at y. The nozzle 9 directs the liquid pitch to all parts of the cask, and the surplus over what adheres to the cask flows back to the reservoir 1 through the bung-hole and openings 3) in the cover 3. As soon as the pitch is forced out of the tank 4 to an extent suflicient to unseal the outlet-pipe 8 the operator cuts off the compressed air and simultaneously opens the tank to the outer air, when the tank at once fills with pitch at the valved inlet. In order to effect this manipulation of the air, a two-Way cook 11 is employed, as seen in section in Fig. 1. The cook 11 at the left in this figure shows the compressed air turned on, and that at the right shows it turned off. In order that the workman may not inadvertently lift off the cask before the pitch ceases to be blown into the same, whereby he may be badly burned, it'is preferred to provide the cook 11 with a long operating-arm 12, so set with reference to the cock that when the compressed air is turned on the handle will lie down on or over the cask, as shown, thus compelling the closing of the valve before the cask can be conveniently taken off from its supports, and in order to adapt the lever to casks of different sizes one part thereof is hinged to the other, as at 12 in Fig. 1, so as to be set at an angle therewith, as indicated in dotted lines at the left in this figure.

The pitch is filled into the reservoir at a covered filling-aperture 13 in its cover 3, and in the reservoiris ahorizon talscreen 14,which is designed to prevent lumps of the material from getting down and interfering with the inlets to the tanks 4. These inlets may, if desired, have perforated screens over them also, as shown in Fig. 1; but this is not absolutely essential. There should be a trap 14 in the screen 14 to afford access to the parts below, if desired.

When the workman is placing a keg or cask with the bung-hole down over the pipe 8, it willsometimes happen that the nozzle 9 will not enter the bung-hole properly and will become crushed or damaged by contact with the cask or the bushing, and to obviate this it is preferred to make the pipe 8 telescopic, as seen in Fig. 1. The upper portion of the pipe is in this construction a little larger than the lower part thereof and slips down over the latter, being supported elastically on a coilspring S on the fixed lesser portion of the pipe. This construction allows the nozzle to yield downward in placing the cask; but as soon as the nozzle enters the bung-hole in shifting the cask the spring will elevate it to its proper position. This telescopic arrangement of the pipe is in no way essential to the operation of the apparatus, but is a precautionary device to prevent injury to the nozzle.

A single two-way cock is employed in the air-pipe in order that the workman or operator may automatically open the upper part of the tank to the atmosphere, so that it will quickly refill with pitch. It will be obvious that a special separate cock could be employed, one to admit compressed air and the other to open the tank to the atmosphere; but this has the disadvantage of dependence upon the workman to operate the two valves at proper times.

The tanks 4 need not necessarily be all of one size, but ,it is convenient to make them so. The only object in using a tank of such great capacity-about two cubic feet-is to the heat of the furnace and the coating of the tank externally is avoided. The outletpipe 8 does not extend down to the bottom of the tank, but leaves a considerable stratum of pitch always in the bottom of the tank, which prevents the bottom from burning. This stratum may be several inches thick.

I have found that wrought-iron, malleable iron, and steel are soon destroyed by the acids of the pitch, while cast-iron and brass remain unaffected for a long time. Hence I find it advantageous to make the kettle and tanks of cast-iron and integral to avoid the use of bolts. The valve-casing and valve at the tank-outlet should also be of cast-iron secured by bolts and nuts of brass or composition, and it is feasible also to make the pipes within the reservoir of cast-iron.

It may sometimes happen that a workman will be called away and'leave the air turned on too long, in which case the pressure would run down rapidly and waste ensue. To warn him of this, I propose to provide an alarmas a whistle, for exampleconnected with the pipe '7 to warn him when the pressure falls, say, five pounds below the normal. Usually about thirty pounds pressure is employed for this work, and the device is arranged to sound the whistle if the pressure falls to about twenty-five pounds. It is notimportant just how this device is constructed, but I have shown one which will serve.

A valve-chamber 15 is connected on the one hand with the air-pipe '7 by a pipe 16 and on the other hand with a whistle 17 by a pipe 18. A valve 19 in the Valve-chamber is adapted to close the outlet to the whistle when the air-pressure in the chamber exceeds twenty-five pounds; but a spring 20 on the valve-stem tends to draw the valve away fromits seat with a pull of about twentyfive pounds, so that if by any chance the pressure should be allowed to fall by wasting air below the tension of the spring the valve 19 will instantly open and sound the whistle. As soon as the waste is checked the increase of air-pressure will overcome the spring and close the valve again.

I am well aware that it is not new, broadly, to utilize compressed air and a closed tank to force a quantity of liquid from said tank to a higher level, and this I do not claim. My tank is so situated that the furnace heat acts directly upon it, and means are provided for dis charging the tank at the moment of shutting off the compressed air.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the construction is sub-" stantially the same as that described, diifering only in the following respects: The group of tanks 4: is cast in a separate piece from the reservoir 1 and secured thereto by bolts, so that if it burns out it may be conveniently renewed and replaced. The pipe 7" is extended down into the reservoir at its center and the several pipes '7 connected with it inside the reservoir. The valves 11 are therefore inside the reservoir and grouped therein near the center, their stems 11 extending up through the cover of the reservoir and having bearings in a bearing-plate 7 secured to the pipe 7. The arms 12 for operating the valves are fixed adj ustably on the respective stems 11" and swing in horizontal planes, so as to project out over the barrel X when the air is turned on and be clear of the barrel When the air is turned off.

Fig. 7 shows how the partitions between the tanks 4t (see dotted lines) may be oblique, so that the tanks will be triangular. It is not essential that the group of tanks shall cover the entire bottom of the reservoir. The object is to have them exterior to the reservoir, low down, and in direct contact with the hot gases.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In an apparatus for pitching casks, the combination with a covered reservoir or kettle for the pitching liquid, and means for heating the same, of a closed tank arranged eX- terior to the reservoir and adjacent to its bottom, a valved inlet for the flow of the pitch by gravity from the reservoir to said tank, a pipe adapted to supply compressed air to the top of said tank, a valve in said pipe, adapted to control the flow of air to and from the tank, a discharge-pipe for the pitch, extending from a point in the tank up through the cover of the reservoir, and a dischargeniozzle on the upper end of said pipe, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for pitching casks, the combination with a reservoir for the pitching liquid and means for heating the same, of a closed tank exterior to the reservoir and be low the level of the pitch therein, said tank having an inlet for the pitch and a checkvalve at said inlet, a pipe adapted to supply compressed air to the upper part of said tank, a discharge-pipe extending from said tank up through the cover of the reservoir, and a nozzle on the upper end of said discharge-pipe, the cover of the reservoir having supports for a cask and an aperture adjacent to the discharge-pipe for the flow of the surplus liquid back into the reservoir, substantially as set forth.

3. An apparatus for pitching casks, having a reservoir for the pitching liquid provided with a cover and a screen 14, a tank at, beneath the reservoir, said tank having a valved inlet at its top, a discharge-pipe 8, extending up through the cover of the reservoir, and a pipe 7 for supplying compressed air to the tank, substantially as set forth.

4. In an apparatus for pitching casks, the combination with the reservoir for the pitching liquid, having a cover with supports thereon for the cask and an aperture for the surplus liquid to flow back to the reservoir, and means for heating said reservoir,of the closed tank exterior to the reservoir and provided with a valve-controlled inlet for the pitch, the air-inlet pipe at the top of the tank, and the telescopic discharge pipe 8, having a spring 8 under its upper section, and a discharge-nozzle 9 on its upper end, substantially as set forth.

5. In an apparatus for pitching casks, the combination with a reservoir for the pitching liquid, means for heating the same, a closed tank below the reservoir, having a valve-controlled inlet for the liquid and a dischargepipe for the liquid extending up through the cover of the reservoir, of an air-pipe 7, connected with the upper part of said tank, a two-way cock in said pipe, and an operatingarm for said cock adapted to extend out over and in close proximity to the cask being pitched when the air is turned onto the tank, substantially as set forth.

6. An apparatus for pitching casks having a reservoir or pitch-kettle, said kettle being of cast-iron and having formed integrally with it, at the bottom, a tank 4 to hold a suit able quantity of pitch, said tank having a valve-controlled inlet for the pitch, a discharge pipe for the pitch, and an inlet for compressed air, substantially as set forth.

7. In an apparatus for pitching casks, the combination with a furnace, of a pitch-reservoir arranged over the furnace and having formed integrally with it and below its bottom a tank 4, to hold a suitable quantity of pitch, said tank having a valve-controlled inlet opening from the bottom of the reservoir, a discharge-pipe provided with a nozzle at its upper end and descending part way to the bottom of the tank, and a pipe entering the top of said tank for supplying compressed air, substantially as set forth.

8. In an apparatus for pitching casks, the combination with a tank having an inlet to receive the pitch, and an outlet-pipe for the pitch, said pipe terminating in the interior of said tank, of a pipe adapted to admit air under pressure to said tank to discharge its contents, and a sound-alarm connected with said airpipe and adapted to be operated by the compressed air When the pressure of the latter falls below a predetermined point, whereby the undue Waste of air by blowing through the tank is indicated.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY RAUGII.

lVitnesses:

PETER A. Ross, HENRY CONNETT. 

